Duties of Authors
Authors
- have the responsibility of ensuring only new and original work is submitted.
- must not reproduce work that has been previously published in other journals.
- must not submit any articles that are being reviewed or considered by AJAG to other journals simultaneously.
- are only allowed to publish their work elsewhere after receiving a formal rejection from this journal or if the journal officially accepts their request to withdraw their work.
- must inform the Chief Editor or the publisher of any inaccuracy of data in their published work so that correction or retraction of the article can be done.
- should make significant contributions and be held accountable for any shortcomings in their work.
Authorship
The names of authors listed in a paper should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the paper. Only those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the work must be acknowledged or listed as contributors. The corresponding author must ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included in the paper.
The affiliation for each Author should be the institution where the majority of the work was performed. If an author has subsequently transferred to another institution, the new address may also be included in the manuscript.
Once AJAG accepts a manuscript for publication, amendments in the authorship in the form of addition, deletion, or rearranging the order of the names are no longer allowed. However, changes in the authorship (addition, deletion, or rearrangement) can be made during the review process before a manuscript is accepted.
Integrity
Deliberately failing to attribute or improperly copying other’s work applies to all forms of data, text, or ideas derived from published or unpublished sources, whether in electronic or print formats, without adequate acknowledgment. Any use of such material, whether direct or indirect, must be appropriately credited through precise quotation, citation, and referencing. When necessary, permission must also be obtained from the original publisher and rights holder. This practice aligns with international copyright laws and ethical standards to ensure transparent attribution throughout the academic record.
AJAG has a zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism, considering its unethical behavior. AJAG reserves the right to screen all submissions using industry-standard similarity detection tools. The journal carefully reviews the results to determine whether they constitute plagiarism or have legitimate justification. If plagiarism is suspected or identified in a submitted or published work, AJAG will investigate and take appropriate action—ranging from rejection to post-publication measures such as issuing a corrigendum, expression of concern, or retraction. The author’s affiliated institution may also be notified.
For works still under review, authors may be asked to revise their manuscript to address citation and quotation concerns. In cases of published works, minor overlaps without misattribution or intentional omission of credit may be corrected via a notice.
Ethics Approval
Ethical approval must be obtained before commencing any research involving human participants, including individuals, samples, or data. Clearance must be secured from the relevant institutional ethics board.
The author (s) should be prepared to provide additional information upon request, such as anonymized data, details about the study design, ethical approvals, and the informed consent process. This information may be requested even after publication, so it is essential to retain copies of all written consent forms obtained from participants.
Intellectual Property
Copyright protects original creative works, including academic articles, granting the copyright holder exclusive rights. AJAG manages the publication, distribution, and long-term preservation of the article, ensuring readers have access to the final version. Authors retain copyright but grant AJAG publishing rights through an agreement that outlines how others can use the work.
Preprint Policy
Sharing research via preprint servers has become a common practice across many academic disciplines, enabling researchers to disseminate their findings quickly.
Before uploading the work to a preprint server, please ensure that:
- The server clearly labels preprints as non–peer-reviewed content.
- Authors are required to disclose any relationships or activities that could potentially influence, or appear to influence, the research.
- Authors fully understand any license agreement required by the server, including the rights granted and any restrictions on future use of the work.
- Authors have reviewed relevant copyright and preprint policies set by their institution and/or funder to confirm that depositing the preprint is permitted.
Submitting a Preprint to AJAG
AJAG accepts submissions of papers that have been previously posted on a preprint server.
However, AJAG can only consider submissions where the author has not transferred the copyright or signed an exclusive license agreement with the preprint platform.
If Authors are submitting a manuscript to AJAG that has already been made available as a preprint, please clearly inform the journal editor at the time of submission and provide details of the preprint server where the work is hosted.
Conference Paper Policy
AJAG understands that researchers often share early-stage work through conference papers or working papers posted online. This practice does not prevent Authors from submitting the same work to AJAG, provided the following conditions are met:
Disclosure: The corresponding author must inform the Editor at submission if the paper is already available on a public conference website and provide full details of where it was presented or published.
Copyright: The authors must not have assigned copyright or signed an exclusive publishing license with the conference organizers.
Peer Review and Anonymity
To protect the integrity of the peer review process, Authors may be asked to remove references to the conference where the paper was presented before the paper is sent to reviewers. Anonymity will be maintained wherever possible.
Published Conference Proceedings
If the paper has already been published in a conference proceedings volume (with an ISBN or ISSN), it must undergo significant revision before submission. Again, notify the Editor of any previous publication and confirm that copyright has not been transferred.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy
Authors must clearly disclose any use of AI tools, including Large Language Models (LLMs), in the preparation of submissions to AJAG. This disclosure should appear in the Methods, Acknowledgements, or another appropriate section, and must include:
- The name and version of the AI tool used
- A description of how the tool was used (e.g., content created or modified)
- Proper citation of any sources used by the AI tool
Basic grammar or spell-checking tools do not fall under this policy. The Editor reserves the right to assess the acceptability of AI use and may reject or take post-publication action on submissions with inappropriate or undisclosed AI involvement.
In accordance with COPE guidance, AI tools cannot be credited as authors because they lack accountability and the capacity for independent research design.
Key Principles on Generative AI Use:
Not Permitted:
- Using AI to generate or write any part of a submission (e.g., abstracts, literature reviews)
- Creating or reporting research results or statistics using AI
- Submitting AI-generated images or visuals
Permitted:
- Using AI to assist with language refinement or readability (similar to grammar-checking tools), provided authors verify all content and remain accountable for the work
- Citing AI-generated content as examples in scholarly critique, except for AI-generated images. These must be clearly labeled, cited, and referenced appropriately
Authors should be aware of potential risks, such as bias, fabrication, and plagiarism, when using AI tools and are responsible for verifying the accuracy and integrity of their work.
All submissions to AJAG are confidential. Sharing this material with others or uploading it to generative AI tools or large language models (LLMs) may violate confidentiality, breach data privacy, and infringe upon intellectual property rights.
Conflicts of Interest
A conflict of interest refers to any situation that could reasonably be perceived to compromise, or appear to compromise, the impartiality and objectivity of the submission review process or the credibility and value of a published work. Conflicts may arise from financial, professional, contractual, or personal relationships.
Examples of potential conflicts of interest include:
- A prior relationship between the author and the Editor
- A financial or personal stake in the research outcomes
- Undisclosed funding from an interested third-party
- A vested interest in suppressing or discrediting the research
- An associated or pending patent
Authors are expected to act professionally and to disclose any potential conflicts that could influence the handling or assessment of a submission. All authors should disclose in their manuscript any financial or other substantive conflict of interest that might be construed to influence the results or interpretation of their research results. All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed in the manuscript. Authors must also disclose whether they have sat or currently sit on a committee for an organization that may benefit from the publication of the paper. Any concerns regarding undisclosed conflicts of interest—whether in active submissions or already published works—should be raised in accordance with our ethical publishing and research integrity policies. If in doubt, it is always best to consult the Editor prior to submission.
Research Misconduct
If there are concerns related to possible errors, ethical issues in research or publication, misconduct, or any matters affecting the integrity, validity, or reliability of submission or published work in AJAG, please contact our editorial team. Be sure to include full details of the concern, along with information about the relevant submission or publication, such as citation details and DOI (if available). All allegations of plagiarism, whether involving submitted or published work, will be investigated in line with our established procedures and the relevant COPE guidelines. Authors will always be allowed to respond before any decision is made. AJAG conducts all investigations impartially and without influence from external parties. We do not disclose details of individual plagiarism cases to third parties and reserve the right to close an investigation if the concerns are found to be unsubstantiated.
Data Sharing and Reproducibility
AJAG is dedicated to promoting openness, transparency, and reproducibility in research. AJAG encourages and supports the sharing of research data, ensuring it is accessible, discoverable, citable, and recognized as a valuable intellectual contribution.
Research data encompasses all forms of information collected, observed, generated, or created to support original research findings. This data can be numerical, descriptive, audio, or visual.
Our minimum standard urges authors, where appropriate and in compliance with ethical and legal considerations, to openly share, cite, and link to their research data. Authors are encouraged to:
- Deposit their research data in a suitable public data repository
- Include a data availability statement that links to the data, or if data sharing is not possible, explain the reasons within the statement
- Properly cite the research data within their work
Post-Publication Critiques
AJAG may publish post-publication critiques at the Editor’s discretion if they provide meaningful insights and raise legitimate concerns related to the research. These critiques will undergo full peer review. The original author(s) may be invited to respond, and their response may also be peer-reviewed.
Only critiques addressing the article’s content will be considered. Comments targeting the author(s), their institutions, funding sources, or the journal/publisher, especially if defamatory or libelous, will not be accepted. Post-publication critiques should be evidence-based where applicable and aim to foster constructive scholarly dialogue relevant to the original article, the journal’s readership, and the broader academic community.
Any serious issues regarding an article’s content will be managed through a publishing ethics review and, if necessary, a post-publication notice after a thorough investigation.
Corrections and Retractions
Occasionally, changes may be required to the Version of Record after an article has been published. The journal’s editorial team will carefully review any such amendments to ensure they comply with AJAG policies and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines.
Except for minor errors, all significant changes will be accompanied by a post-publication notice—such as a Correction, Expression of Concern, Retraction, or, in rare cases, Removal—which will remain permanently linked to the original article.
These linked notices promote transparency about the changes made and uphold the integrity of the scholarly record.